Teacher Focus Feature ~ Xavier Cha

Although Xavier Cha is little, she is a powerhouse. She has shared space in my studio for almost two years now, and I have had the good fortune of taking lessons from this very special teacher. Xavier, or the ninja as I call her, is NO JOKE. Although she has a gentle almost Zen-like quality in her presence, her keen sense of your physique and her meticulous teaching style will whip you into shape almost without you noticing it. Her focus is laser-sharp and she will invite you into the center of her target, seamlessly. Suddenly, before you know it the session is over and you’re feeling like you’re floating above your body and ready to take on the world. Her dedication to the work and her spritely nature will enchant you, but her fierceness will change your body for the better. Here’s Xavier’s story:

I constantly hear teacher’s stories of how they found the Pilates method, and for most of them it was a result of their life as a dancer or gymnast. Xavier is an exception. Working in a bar as a cocktail waitress (hear the song?) she became a practice body for a friend getting her Pilates certification. Any plans that she might have had to go into teaching Yoga (which explains her Zen approach to the work) were thwarted when she found Pilates and she became determined to get certified herself and quickly followed suit.

An artist by trade, Xavier is keenly conscious of the body’s form and function. For her, the best thing about Pilates is that it gives her the tools to heighten her client’s body awareness and empower them to develop a sophisticated level of control over their form and become truly comfortable in their own bodies. And comfortable you feel in Xavier’s expert hands. Her sensitive and intuitive nature helps her be specific with each client’s needs and how he Pilates work should be prescribed to the body at hand.

Xavier is not only an exceptional Pilates instructor but also a very accomplished visual artist, exhibiting in NYC and all over the world. Her nick-name Ninja comes from her bad ass training in competitive kick-boxing and her daily Pilates workouts. She’s extremely physical and loves surfing, dancing, and anything that challenges her body.

Xavier says that you only have one body in this life, so you might as well move through it well.